ETF Evaluator:
Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Commodities Focused Over the Last Year
| 2251.5% | Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF (BWET) |
| 81.8% | United States Gasoline (UGA) |
| 64.2% | Commodities Focused () |
| 63.3% | Invesco DB Energy (DBE) |
| 61.8% | United States Oil (USO) |
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ETF Details
Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF Overview
Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL) is a passively managed Commodities Commodities Focused exchange-traded fund (ETF). Franklin Templeton Investments launched the ETF in 2022.
The investment seeks to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the expenses of the fund’s operations.
The assets of the fund include only gold bullion and cash, if any. The fund is not a proxy for investing in physical gold. Rather, the Shares are intended to provide a cost-effective means of obtaining investment exposure through the securities markets that is similar to an investment in gold.
About Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 4.09 years: Management Team (2022). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: LBMA Gold Price PM USD index with a weighting of 100%. Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF has 1 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 100.0% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF is part of the Real Assets global asset class and is within the Commodities ETF group. Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF has 0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $415 million in total assets, which is below the $4 billion average for the Commodities Focused category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
FGDL Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF expense ratio is low compared to funds in the Commodities Focused category. Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF has an expense ratio of 0.15%, which is 80% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 15% for the Commodities Focused category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF returned 0.0%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Commodities Focused category had an average return of 5.1%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 7.11% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned -6.6%, 38.0 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 21.9% over the past year (grade of C) and 26.7% over the past three years (grade of A).
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FGDL Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| FGDL Return (NAV) | 0.0% | -12.7% | 21.9% | 26.7% | na | na |
| FGDL Return (Price) | 1.2% | -12.1% | 22.6% | 27.2% | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -1.236% | -0.626% | -0.690% | -0.473% | na | na |
| Commodities Focused Avg | 5.1% | -6.8% | 64.2% | 14.3% | 9.6% | 6.0% |
| FGDL Grade (NAV) | D | D | C | A | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -5.1% | -5.9% | -42.3% | 12.4% | na | na |
| FGDL Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.0% | 0.0% | na | na |
FGDL Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| FGDL Return (NAV) | -6.6% | 64.8% | 26.4% | 13.6% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| FGDL Return (Price) | -6.2% | 64.1% | 27.3% | 12.9% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.063% | -0.010% | 0.034% | -0.052% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Commodities Focused Avg | 31.4% | 35.6% | 6.2% | -1.1% | 9.2% | 27.8% | 1.5% | 14.9% | -9.5% | 3.1% | 10.0% |
| FGDL Grade (NAV) | D | B | A | A | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -38.0% | 29.2% | 20.2% | 14.7% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.36 |
| R-Squared: | 7% |
| Standard Deviation: | 18.5% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.73 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.51 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.0% |
| Total Assets: | $ 415 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 415 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.15% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | LBMA Gold Price PM USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | Yes |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 4.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 4.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Team Management (2022) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 1 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 100.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 100.0% |
| Cash: | 0.0% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Grantor Trust |
| Fund Family: | Franklin Templeton Investments |
| Phone Number: | 650-312-2000 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | June 30, 2022 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.15% (Rating: Low) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.76% |
